Automatic gas lighting and extinguishing device



(NoModeL) J. M. FOSTER.

Automatic Gas Lighting and Extinguishing Device.

No. 238,377. Patented March 1,1881.

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UNTTED STATES PATENT @Ti ice.

JOHN M. FOSTER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC GAS LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 238,377, dated March 1, 1881,

Application filed August 11, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. FOSTER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, and Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Beacons, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly sectional and broken away, of the beacon embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a detached part. Fig. 3 is a vertical section in lineww, Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are views of detached parts.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

Myinvention consists of a beacon for a buoy, pile, caisson, light-house, or other place or article requiring illumination, automatically lighted and extinguished at any predetermined 'or established periods.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a cylinder, which is properly supported on a buoy, pile, caisson, light-house, or other place or article requiring illumination, and adapted to receive illuminating-gas under pressure.

B represent a clock, whose case is connected to a box or frame, 0, which is supported on the top of the cylinder A and surmounted by the lantern D of the beacon, the burner D whereof is attached to a gas-pipe, E, which communicates with the cylinder A.

Intermediate the pipe E and cylinder A is a governor, F, for regulating and equalizing the pressure of gas, said pipe E and governor F being supported on the box or frame 0 and while the lantern is shown as resting on said box or frame 0 it may be otherwise properly supported in position.

A represents the induction-pipe of the cylinder A, and A the eduction-pipe thereof. The governor Fis connected to said eductionpipe A and burner-pipe E, and the several pipes are provided with suitable cooks for cutting off and letting on the gas, as is evident. The pipe E of the burner is provided with a three-Way cock, G, to the arm a of which is connected a rod or arm, H, whose lower end is fitted to a crank, b, on the end of the shaft 0 of the locking-wheel J of the clock, said wheel having at two opposite places a notch, 01, each (No model.)

a. graduated dial, N, secured to the box or frame (Land the two wheels LL, movable independently of each other, beinglocated adjacent to the hour-wheel P of the clock B. Each side of said hour-wheel l? is provided with a pin or stud, g, one of which engages with the serrated or toothed periphery of the wheel L, and the other engages with the serrated or toothed periphery of the wheel L.

Near the burner D is a small gas-jet, D, whose pipe is connected to the cock G, so arranged that when the gas is admitted to the burner D it is cut off from thejet D, and vice versa; consequently when the burner D is supplied with gas the jet D is deprived of the same; but when the gas to the burner is cut off that to the jet is let on prior thereto in such quantities that it ignites from the flame of the burner, the daily consumption of gas at the jet being scarcely perceptible. When the gas is again admitted to the burner D the flame of the jet D reaches and ignites it, and the gas of said jet is then cut off.

The operation is as follows: The tank or cylinder is properly filled with gas under pressure, the cock of the eduotion-pipe A opened, the jet D lighted, andtheclock B wound and set in motion. The indexes M M are turned until one of them points on the dial Nthe hour, say, in the evening when the beacon is to be lighted, and the other points on said dial the hour, say, in'the morning when the beacon is to be extinguished, the wheels L L rotating with the indexes. As the hour-wheel l? of the clock rotates, the pins or studs g thereofeach engage with one of the teeth of the setting-wheels LL, and said wheels rotate each hour the distance of one of the twenty-four teeth thereof. The pins or studs 0 of the setting-wheels are carried around with said wheels L L, and when the pin or stud of the wheel which is connected to the index set for lighting the beacon reaches one of the bifurcations of the tripping-lever K and presses against the same, the toothed or bent end of said lever is lifted clear of the notch of the wheel J. A train of clock-work, or other suitable actuating mechanism, immediately setsin motion the wheel J, rotates, and with it its shaft 0 and the crank 1), until, by the rotation of the wheel J, the other notch is brought around, and the tripping-lever drops ihereinto, thus stopping the train. The motion of the crank b raises the arm H and operates the cock G, so that gas is admitted to the burner D, where it is quickly ignited from the flame of the jet D the gas to the latter then being out 01f by the cock G. The

burner is thus lighted and the beacon illuminated, the object whereofis evident. The clock continues its motion, and when the pin or stud of the wheel which is connected to the index set for extinguishing the beacon reaches the other bifurcation of the tripping-lever K and presses against it, said lever is again raised clear of the notch of the wheel J. The train of clock-gearing immediately sets in motion and causes the wheel J to rotate. The crank I) rotates, or returns to its first position, and the other notch ofthe wheelJ is again engaged by the lever K, thus stopping said wheel and train.

The arm H is lowered by the crank b and the cock G thereby turned, so that gas is admitted in such volume to the jet D that it ignites from the flame of the burner D, and the gas to said burner D is completely out off, thus extinguishing the beacon.

As the jet D continues to burn, when the hour for lightingthe beacon returns, the burner D may again be lighted, and when the extinguishin g hour arrives the gas will be shut off from said burner, as before described, it being necessary to keep the cylinder or tank A sup-' plied with gas, the clock B wound, and the wheels L L properly set by means of the indexes M M, to repeat the automatic lighting and extinguishing operations.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The improvement in beacons which are automatically lighted and extinguished, consisting of the cook G, in combination with the connected rod H, the locking-wheel J, and trigping lever K of aclock or time-piece, and the setting-wheels L L, having pins thereon, and the wheel P, having pins gg, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination, with a supply-tank and a gas-jet, the cock G, the connected rod H, the locking-wheel J and tripping-lever K ofa clock or time-piece, and the setting-Wheels L L, having pins thereon, and the wheel P, having pins g g, substantially as set forth.

JOHN M. FOSTER.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, W. F. KIROHER. 

